The recession over the last few years resulted in dramatic changes in the Building, Remodeling, and Renovation market on Cape Cod. Homeowners made decisions to do projects that would add long-lasting value. Nationally, the trends were the same, and recently US News published an article discussing this very issue. They found that the 3 most popular investments were In-Law apartments, Kitchen renovations, and Outdoor Living spaces. As Custom Home Builder and Design firm here on Cape Cod, we have noticed similar trends.
Here is the complete Article from US News: http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/01/30/3-recession-home-remodeling-trends-likely-to-stick-around